Community & Business
19 June, 2026
Family tribute with $50K RFDS art prize
A NEW statewide art prize has been launched as a tribute to the memory of passionate painter John D. Bowe, and in support of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section).
The prize of $50,000 will be awarded to the artwork that most powerfully expresses the character, resilience, and connection of Queensland, its spirit and its people.
The John D. Bowe Art Prize has been established by Anne Carne as a lasting legacy for her son and continues a deeply personal connection between Anne’s family and the Flying Doctor.
Anne chose to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service in memory of her two sons, Rod and John – a decision that brings together two passions that defined her boys’ lives.
Rod was a pilot. Though he never flew for the RFDS, after losing Rod, Anne saw the powerful connection between aviation and healthcare as a meaningful way to honour his memory and his love of flight.
Her enduring support has since been recognised with an RFDS aircraft bearing the family’s name: the Roderick J. Bowe, John D. Bowe and Anne J. Carne.
John was a passionate artist. The John D. Bowe Art Prize extends Anne’s tribute through the medium John loved most. Anne said the prize was an act of love, and a way of turning grief into something generous and lasting that honoured her son’s passion for art, life and connection.
“This prize began with John, but it isn’t only about him – this is an invitation to artists everywhere in Queensland to share in the landscapes, the communities, the stories, the resilience, the everyday moments and the shared experiences that bind people across this great state,” she said.
“The RFDS became part of our family’s story in a way I could never have anticipated, and their care for Queenslanders has stayed with me ever since.”
All entries for the John D. Bowe Art Prize must be submitted and assessed digitally, ensuring that every artist can take part on equal footing.
Submissions close at midnight on Sunday, 12 July.
For more information on the prize and judging visit www.johndboweartcompetition.com.au
